“It shows you what can be done in this league - it’s so close. One year it can be Burnley, the next year it can go against you and it can go like it has for Stoke or Southampton.

“I think if we can finish above Southampton would show our progression, we want to keep picking up points in these three games, it would show how far we’ve come.

Listen and subscribe to the Mirror Football podcast:

“I had a great time with Stoke, good relationship with Mark Hughes, good couple of seasons under him and I hope things work out for them. But if it doesn’t, they have great ownership, great stability and if anyone can bounce straight back then they can.

Begovic has had a solid season at Bournemouth (Image: Getty Images Europe)

“Like Southampton, if you have a bad patch then you can be in trouble and that seems to be the case again with Stoke.

“The Premier League is close, it’s so tight, tough to win games and whenever you can get three points it’s like gold dust.

“We’ll see where we finish this year, hopefully we can finish mid-table again and if you keep getting better as a team and individuals then that’s the target.

“Hopefully we can push on in the domestic cups and if the years go on then we can build the squad, improve and really move forward as a club.

“What Burnley have done, four points off Arsenal, what Leicester did by winning the title, gives everyone hope for what you can be done in the Premier League.”

Begovic is one of the Premier League’s deeper thinkers and always engaging which is why he has been so keen to give something back by setting up his own charity foundation.

But it was a difficult decision when, having gone to a big club in Chelsea, he got the call last summer from Bournemouth. The chance to play every week again was too much to turn down.

Begovic went through Bournemouth’s difficult start - just one win in their opening eight games - and has come out the other side believing the club is really going places under Eddie Howe.

Begovic said: “He (Howe) is Bournemouth through and through, really passionate about the club, all the players and he wants to keep it progressing. He’s got a tremendous work ethic. His player development skills are very good, very impressive.

Begovic was effusive in his praise of Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe (Image: Getty)

“He cares about every individual to get better, he gives you targets all of the time, he always wants you to progress and never just stand still.

“If you work on one aspect of the game then he will push you to work on another one to try and make you a better player. The way he does that is fantastic and we as a team grow as a result of that.

“His attention to detail, philosophy and a good guy to work with. He’s taken players through the divisions, developed them and helped them play at the highest level. He keeps pushing you and that’s his whole philosophy.

“There’s been nice moments like saving penalties in the last minute, some mistakes and you need some luck but playing every game and being back in the Premier League atmosphere has been the highlight.

“The atmosphere is fantastic, the stadium is so close, I’m not sure that anyone looks forward to coming there but we love it. Our fans are behind us and it’s a fun stadium to play in.”

Begovic has set up his own charity Foundation to raise money for projects to provide sports facilities and education for youngsters in England and Bosnia.

He is hosting a fund raising Golf Classic at Burhill on Monday, May 14, when a host of big names take part. There are still places available with details below.

Begovic said: “We’ve done some really good things in the past four and a half years ago both here in the UK and in Bosnia, Sarajevo, Tuzla.

“These sports facilities helps the country regrow and also allows kids everywhere to follow their dreams like I did.

“I went through tough times with the war, family uprooting all over the world, but the one thing that I always had was football. No matter where I was living, where I was, I was always able to play football and make friends.

“Hopefully we can give other kids the opportunity to do the same. In Bosnia, everything that has been destructed needs to be rebuilt and hopefully give kids a lot of opportunities for the future.”